duot

Duot is a term used in discussions of color rendering to describe a two-color rendering approach that uses two colors to reproduce images traditionally displayed in grayscale. The concept is closely related to duotone printing and limited-color palettes, but the shorthand “duot” has appeared primarily in digital design and online tutorials rather than in formal publishing.

Etymology: The name duot is a contracted form of duotone; its exact origins are informal and appear in design communities during the 2010s. It is not widely standardized, and some writers treat it as synonymous with duotone, while others use it to refer to specific two-color mapping techniques.

Techniques and usage: A duot image is produced by converting a grayscale image to a pair of colors. The luminance values are mapped to two anchor colors, often with a gradient between them. Designers choose the color pair to align with branding or mood. The workflow typically involves grayscale conversion, color pairing, mapping or curve adjustments, and exporting in a format compatible with the intended medium. Duot outputs can be produced in raster or vector workflows, including CSS-based rendering for web.

Limitations: Visual density and perceptual contrast depend on the color pair; accessibility concerns require sufficient contrast for text and important details. Digital displays and printing processes may reproduce colors differently, affecting consistency.

See also: Duotone, two-color printing, color grading, palette optimization.